(CNN) - Sally Jewell, the CEO of an outdoor gear company and expert in energy and conservation issues, was named Wednesday as President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed Ken Salazar as secretary of the interior.

She is the first non-male Obama has nominated to a secretary post in his second term. Obama has been criticized by some for selecting mostly white males for a variety of key posts, including the top spots in the departments of state, defense and treasury, although his cabinet makeup does not differ significantly from that of his predecessor President George W. Bush.FULL POST